Kabul, Jul 25 (IANS): US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has said that the intra-Afghan talks have never been so close, adding that this was a defining moment for peace in the war-torn country.

He made the remarks on Friday while addressing a virtual event organized by the Washington-based US Institute of Peace on Friday, reports TOLO News.

"This is an important moment for Afghanistan and for the region, perhaps a defining moment," he said.

Khalilzad also said that the war has left huge burdens on the US and Afghanistan as well as the world community.

Khalilzad said that casualties among the Afghan military personnel and civilians have been reduced this year compared to last year.

He said that under the US-Taliban peace agreement which was signed in Doha on February 29, Washington was committed to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, however he reiterated that any troop withdrawal will be conditions-based.

The Afghan ambassador to the US, Roya Rahmani, also addressed the session where she called on the regional countries and the international community to help the country in its efforts for peace, reports TOLO News.

"The Afghan people need their Central Asian neighbors to support the Afghan peace process with their consensus and their commitment to a stable, peaceful and free Afghanistan," said Rahmani.